THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO HOST THE COP28

By hosting Cop 28 in 2023, UAE will have the opportunity to bring the world together and be on track towards a more inclusive and equitable energy transition. UAE is building a coal-fired power station and expects to raise its oil production capacity to more than 5 million barrels per day by 2030. Nonetheless, its chance to host COP28 aims to highlight its efforts to make climate action a foundation of its internal and foreign policies, as well as its national economic plan. UAE aims to use its knowledge and capacity to promote and boost global climate ambition while maximizing regional and global economic advantages by hosting COP28 in the UAE.

UAE Net Zero Plan (2050)

The UAE has become the first Gulf state to commit to completely decarbonizing its economy and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Stakeholders in important sectors such as energy, economy, industry, infrastructure, transportation, waste, agriculture, and the environment will update relevant plans, strategies, and policies, as well as implement projects, to achieve net-zero by 2050 by their needs and growth requirements. The UAE is on target to create 14 GW of carbon-free power by 2030, compared to a business-as-usual baseline, and to derive 50% of its electricity from renewables and nuclear by 2050, having spent over US$40 billion in local clean energy enterprises to date.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, has recently announced that the UAE will contribute US$3 million to the projects carried out by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in 2022 and 2023.

Major Projects:

• PepsiCo, a global beverage company based in the United States, has partnered with the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) to create the latter’s first greenhouse accelerator program in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator is a worldwide accelerator program guided by mentors that helps food and beverage businesses thrive by promoting cooperation and creativity. The program, which began in Europe in 2017 and expanded to North America in 2019, has now produced five successful editions that have aided several start-ups throughout the world. Ten MENA-based firms and entrepreneurs will be chosen for the accelerator, which will provide them with kick-start funding as well as access to PepsiCo’s mentorship team to help them develop their sustainability-focused concepts. The winner startup will get $100,000 to assist them to develop and scale their idea.
• Under the UAE’s 2050 net-zero goal, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and Taqa intend to jointly build at least 30 GW of renewable energy by 2030. The new strategic partnership will concentrate on local and worldwide renewable energy and waste-to-energy projects, as well as green hydrogen generation, processing, and storage, and related operations. The partnership comes after the UAE’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.
• Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre (Tadweer) signed a Joint Project Development Agreement (JPDA) with Etihad Airways to facilitate the development of the first Waste-to-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (WtF) plant in the Middle East Region on the occasion of Dubai Air Show 2021.
• Upon completion, the plant will have the potential to transform up to 4 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) every year into Sustainable Aviation Fuel
• Noor Abu Dhabi solar PV plant projected to avoid up to 1 million tons of CO2 emissions per year
• Barakah nuclear power plant to avoid 21 million tons of CO2 emissions per year
• Al Dhafra 2GW single-site solar PV plant which could reduce 2.4 million tons of CO2 emissions
• Two additional solar projects with a combined capacity of 2GW and the potential to avoid 2.6 million tons of CO2 emissions
• Two waste-to-energy plants in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are expected to help reduce 2.4 million tons of CO2 emissions